United Way funding bolsters food programs for Victoria’s vulnerable seniors

A new community partnership will help bring 1,000 meals to vulnerable Victoria seniors every week.

The United Way is partnering with Beacon Community Services to fund infrastructure for prepared meals and food hampers for seniors across the Capital Regional District (CRD). Through the federal government’s New Horizons for Seniors program, the United Way will provide a $72,500 grant to Beacon Community Services, bolstering food service and alleviating the pressure shouldered by 14 seniors’ service agencies in the region.

“For many years, United Way has supported a compassionate network of services that respond to seniors in need. The COVID-19 crisis has created an increased demand for social services on an already fragile system,” says a statement from Mark Breslauer, CEO of United Way Greater Victoria. “This funding will allow us to provide help to vulnerable seniors that need it most.”

The grant will help cover salaries, storage and prep space of an expanded meal coordination program, but the United Way is hoping donors will help to match its contribution so the program can be maintained long-term.

The government’s New Horizons program also allocated an additional $112,000 to the CRD, which will benefit several programs including the Alzheimer Society of BC, the Eldercare Foundation, James Bay New Horizon, Seniors Serving Seniors and more.